Trolling spoon



Oct. 20, 1936. p, H, ALLEN I 2,058,121

TROLLINQ SPOON Filed June. 21, 1935 v INVE'IIVTOR. Percy li fl/lefi ATTORNEY/1.

Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 18 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in trollingspoons of, the character commonly employed in fishing for salmon, trout, and other game fish, the object being to provide a more effective design than has heretofore been developed which attains its advantageous results primarily from an ability to more effectively oppose the tendency of spoons under the influence of momentum to spin, an action which betrays the artificiality of the lure. More'particularly, it is my object to produce a trolling spoon peculiarly designed to afford a limping action inits travel through the water, this action being maintained even in the higher ranges of speed which hitherto have resulted in a spinning action where using the jiggr type of spoon.

The invention consists in the novel construction and configuration of a trolling.spoon,.as will be fully described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set forth in the annexed claims.

In the drawing:- i

Figure 1 is .a plan view of the now preferred embodiment of the invention; J Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof looking toward the upper edge of the spoon and Fig. 3 is a side elevation from the under side of the spoon.

Fig. 41s a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. l; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse vertical sections taken on the respective section lines 5--5 and 66 of Fig. l.

The spoon, formed as a blade from sheet metal or other suitable material, is designed with reversely curved front and rear ends'indicated in the drawing by the numerals I and 8, said leading end being relatively narrow and'rounded symmetrically at its terminus with the lateral edges extending in diverging relation toward the rear end of the spoon along rectilineal lines. The upper of said edges, indicated by 9, extends rectilineally for substantially the entire length of the spoon while the lower edge I0 is rectilineal for a major portion of the spoons length and then extends upwardly in an angular somewhat arciform rear edge II, said rear edge emanating from a point relatively common to the transverse line at which the curve or inclination of the rear end commences. More especially in connection with the design of the rear end of said spoon, the rectilineal rear portiono'f the upper edge 9 together with the rear edge I! forms a relative V-angle having its sides so arranged as to give the spoon .an apiculated appearance. An aperture I2 is provided in the'point of the spoon formed thereby to lie in remote disposition from thelongitudinal median line of the spoon for the reception of a ring to which the hook is attached, a similar aperture l3 being provided in the forward end of the spoon to-lie on the longitudinal l median line for the reception of a ring to which a line-engaging swivel is attached.

Immediately adjacent said forward aperture and-medially as respects the edges 9 and H], the metal is cupped as indicated at M, and emanating at the base of such cup and extending rearwardly on a line parallel or approximately so as respects the upper edge 9 the spoon is furrowed as at I6 with the line of projection being at an intersecting angle to the plane of the intermediate portion of the spoon to merge with the latter slightly forward of the spoons minor axis, producing a somewhat flattened surface l5 at the point of intersection. Emanating from this somewhat flattened surface and extending rearwardly is a gully I'I reversely furrowed from the gully l6 and at its forward end such gully ll provides forwardly diverging branches leading toward the two side edges 9 and ill of the spoon, the branches and the medially disposed gully I1 simulating a relative Y. Such medial leg I! of the Y extends into proximity of the spoons rear end and at its rear terminus is directed toward the aperture 12, the spoon providing at its rear end a cavity [8 into the base of which the gully I'I leads. Such cavity I8 is more pronounced than the reversely-cupped cavity M.

In use, the spoon tends to run in the direction of inclination of the leading end which operates to expose the cup-shaped cavity I8, the impinging water heeling the spoon by reason of the oil-set disposition of the cavity relative to the longitudinal median line of the spoon and the co-action afiorded by the greater speed with which the lower portion of the spoon body spills the water over the angular rear edge, this heeling action being opposed by the keel effect of the lower edge l0 and the drag of the hook connected at the upper rear end of the spoon. The spoon obtains a wavering action which can best be described as limping, the rear end swinging from one to the other side of the spoons line of travel and producing a slight vacillation as the opposing forces alternately predominate. It is to be noted that the line is attached to the spoon at a point offset 50 from the horizontal level of the plane in which the hook is connected, the result being a torque operating to prevent the spoon from developing a longitudinal axis about which the spoon might rotate, allowing effective trolling at speeds con- .55

siderably higher than have heretofore been possible.

I intend that the design of the spoon may be modified within the scope of the hereto annexed claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:-

1. A trolling spoon produced from a sheet of plane metal and formed to have its leading and rear ends incline in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon with the lateral edges of the body between said front and rear ends extending in rearwardly diverging relation along rectilineal H lines for the greater portion of the spoons length,

said lateral edges terminating at the front end of the spoon in a symmetrical curve and at the rear end in a relative V-configuration the vertex of which lies in off-set relation to the longitudinal median line of the spoon toward the upper edge of the same.

2. The configuration of a spoon as defined in claim 1 in which the front and rear ends are apertured for the attachment of the securing means of a trolling line and a hook, said forward aperture being located in the approximate center of the spoons inclined front end and the rear aperture being located in relative proximity to the vertex of the V-angle.

3. A trolling spoon formed with rectilineal upper and lower lateral edges extending in slightly diverging relation toward the rear end of the spoon with the rear edge being diagonal to incline rearwardly from the lower to the upper lateral edge in locating the greater portion of the spoon body above the longitudinal median line of the same, the spoon being apertured at its front and rear ends to accommodate the attachment of a trolling line and a hook, respectively, said rear aperture being disposed in closer proximity to the upper edge of the spoon than the front aperture whereby to locate a line taken through said apertures diagonally as respects the upper edge of the spoon.

4. A trolling spoon formed with rectilineal upper and lower lateral edges extending in diverging relation toward the rear end of the spoon for the greater portion of the spoons length, the spoon being apertured at its front and rear ends for the attachment of associated trolling tackle, said rear aperture being located toward the upper edge of the spoon in laterally off-set disposition as respects a longitudinal line taken parallel to said upper edge of the spoon through the forward aperture. 7

5. A trolling spoon apertured at its front and rear ends for the attachment of associated trolling tackle, said spoon having its greatest width lying somewhat rearwardly of the spoons minor axis with the aperture at the rear end of the spoon being located toward the upper edge of the spoon in laterally offset disposition as respects a line intersecting the spoons forward aperture and extending longitudinally of the spoon in a plane parallel to the upper edge of the spoon.

6. A trolling spoon having its two ends reversely cupped and formed with its greater length lying above the longitudinal median line of the spoon with the body of the spoon between said front and rear ends being furrowed longitudinally at an angle to the longitudinal median line of the spoon, the line of projection of the furrow being at an intersecting angle as respects the plane of the spoon to cross the latter in providing reversely disposed guillies running toward the opposite ends of the spoon and terminating at the bases of the cups.

7. A trolling spoon wider at its rear than at its front end and having an inclined rear edge with the greater length being above the longitudinal median line of the spoon, the two ends of the spoon being reversely cuped with the forward cup lying relatively on the line of greatest length of the spoon, and the body of the spoon between said cupped ends providing reversely disposed gullies running from approximately the midlength of the spoon to terminate at the base of the cups.

8. A trolling spoon having its leading and rear ends inclined in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon and having a longitudinal furrow extending the approximate length of the same between the two ends with the line of projection of the furrow being at an intersecting angle as respects the plane of the spoon and crossing the same in its mid-portion to provide reversely curved gullies extending in opposite directions from the pointof intersection to the base of the inclined ends, the walls of the gullies being smooth and extending laterally from the furrow line to the extreme side edges of the spoon with the inclination of the same progressively diminishing toward a transverse vertical plane taken through the point at which the line of projection crosses the plane of the spoon.

9. A trolling spoon of a relative scalene triangular plan configuration of which the narrow end operates as the leading end of the spoon, said spoon having its two ends inclined in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon and the front and rear ends being apertured for the attachment of associated trolling tackle, said rear aperture lying at the rearmost terminus of the spoon in the angle lying between'the rear and the upper lateral edge of the body.

10. A trolling spoon of a relative scalene triangular plan configuration of which the narrow end operates as the leading end of the spoon, said spoon having its two ends inclined in opposite directions. from the plane of the spoon, the front and rear ends of the spoon being apertured for the attachment of associated trolling tackle with the rear aperture being disposed to lie in off-set disposition to the longitudinal median line of the spoon toward the upper edge of the same in locating the major portion of the spoon body below a plane taken through the apertures.

11. A trolling spoon of a relative scalene triangular plan configuration having its two ends inclined in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon with the front and rear ends being apertured for the attachment of associated trolling tackle, said apertures being located such that a line intersecting the two lies in a plane disposed diagonally to the longitudinal median line and the lateral edges of the spoon.

12. A trolling spoon of a relative scalene triangular plan configuration having an aperture in the forward end disposed relatively on the longitudinal median line of the spoon and an aperture at the rear end disposed between said longitudinal median line and the upper lateral edge of the spoon, said forward end being cupped to provide a depression lying immediately to the rear of the front aperture and the rear end of the spoon being cupped reversely to the forward depression to provide a depression lying immediately forward of the rear aperture, the body of the spoon between said front and rear depressions being formed to provide a relatively Y-shaped gully of which the medial leg of the same constitutes a relative extension of the spoons rear depression and of which the diverging arms branch from said medial leg at a point approximately medially of the spoons length and lead diagonally therefrom toward the two side edges of the spoon.

13. A trolling spoon of a relative scalene triangular plan configuration having its two ends cupped reversely to form depressions, the narrow end operating as the leading end of the spoon and the depressions being located such that a rectilineal line drawn to intersect the substantial medial points of the depressions defines a plane disposed diagonally to the longitudinal median line and thelateral edges of the spoon.

14. A trolling spoon of a general scalene triangular plan configuration formed with an aperture for the attachment of trolling tackle in each of the two ends of the spoon, said apertures being located such that a rectilineal line drawn through diametrical center lines of the apertures defines a plane lying diagonally as respects the lateral edges of the spoon and the longitudinal median line of the spoon.

15. A trolling spoon of a general scalene triangular plan configuration of which the lateral edges are of appreciably greater length than the end edge of the figure whereby to locate the lateral edges of the spoon in planes diverging only slightly from the narrow to the wide end of the spoon, the side of greatest length constituting the upper edge of the spoon and the narrow end of the figure operating as the leading end of the spoon, said spoon having its forward and rearmost tips inclined in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon.

16. A trolling spoon produced from a strip of plane material and formed to have its leading and rear ends incline in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon with the upper lateral edge extending rectilineally for substantially the entire length of the spoon and with the lower lateral edge extending in diverging relation thereto toward the rear end of the spoon to a point relatively in proximity to but forwardly spaced from a plane taken at right angles to said rectilineal upper edge through the rear terminus of the same, the rear edge of the spoon between said lower and upper rectilineal edges being inclined from the vertical to locate the greater portion of the spoon body toward the upper edge of the spoon.

17. A trolling spoon having its leading and rear ends inclined in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon and formed with its greater width lying relatively in proximity tothe spoons rear end, the body of the spoon between said front and rear ends providing a relative Y-shaped gulley of which the diverging branches extend forwardly from a point lying at the approximate mid-length of the spoon and with the leg of the Y-gulley extending rearwardly to terminate at the rear end of the spoon in a cupped depression lying in close proximity to the spoons rear end.

18. A trolling spoon having its leading and rear ends inclined in opposite directions from the plane of the spoon and formed with its greater length lying above the longitudinal median line of the same, the body of the spoon from a point approximately medially of the spoons length to the approximate rear end of the same being furrowed longitudinally to provide a relative gully which, at its forward end, separates and extends laterally and forwardly in diverging branches simulating a relative Y, said spoon at its forward and rear ends being apertured for the attachrnent of associated trolling tackle, the rear aperture being disposed, relatively adjacent the upper edge of the spoon and the rear terminus of the medial leg of the Y-gully being directed toward said rear aperture.

- PERCY H. ALLEN. 

